1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to the field of heat insulated food containers commonly known as coolers. More specifically the present invention relates to a portable cooler apparatus which serves as a base for supporting an upright beach umbrella. The portable cooler apparatus includes a food container which is preferably insulated against heat transfer with the surrounding environment, the container having a container top wall, a container side wall and a container bottom wall preferably formed integrally with the container side wall, the container top wall having an umbrella mast passing port and the container bottom wall having mast engaging means, such that the mast of an umbrella can be inserted into the mast passing port and advanced into the container interior and engaged by the mast engaging means, thereby holding the umbrella upright relative to the container, and two opposing container interior access container lids. The food container optionally contains a partition wall dividing the interior of the container into two regions which can be accessed separately from corresponding interior access container lids. The partition wall serves to segregate food items or to keep one region cool while the other region is frequently opened. The container acts as a stabilizing base for the umbrella, which can be opened over the container, and the container top wall preferably functions as a table on which the user can place food and drink items for consumption. The mast of the umbrella is removably fitted into the top of the container, and preferably extends into a mast receiving tube secured within and extending above the container. An adjustable table structure is optionally provided which includes a table port through which the mast receiving tube passes. The table structure support element releasibly engages the mast receiving tube at any selected elevation to hold the table structure at a convenient height. A pull handle is preferably provided on the container side wall and a pair of wheels are preferably secured to the lower end of the container side wall opposite the pull handle so that the container can be pulled conveniently to its destination. A ground anchoring pointer is optionally removably secured to extend downwardly from the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
There previously have been beach umbrellas having umbrella masts structurally combined with various containers. Patarra, U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,213, issued on Oct. 20, 1998 discloses a combination purse and umbrella in which the umbrella canopy collapses around a purse container at the base of the umbrella mast. Kenney, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,108, issued on Sep. 1, 1992 teaches a beach umbrella having secured to its mast several rotatable utility compartments for storing beach equipment and having a base end stake for penetrating the ground. Dolles, U.S. Pat. No. 892,813, issued on Jul. 7, 1908 reveals a folding umbrella in which the handle at the base of the mast is tubular and serves as a receptacle for the folded body of the umbrella. Levesque, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,163, issued on May 23, 1989, discloses a portable table system including a pair of semi-cylindrical containers secured face to face to define a complete cylinder which receives the mast of an umbrella and the upper surface of which functions as a table top. French patent number 91 09008/2 678 977 filed on Jul. 10, 1991 by Guetta teaches a portable container which may be insulated, and having a vertical tubular member securely attached to and passing at least partly through the container for receiving the lower end of an umbrella mast. French patent 86 15303/2 606 063 filed on Oct. 31, 1986 by Rombi reveals a sunshade supporting water container made up of two semicircular container halves hinged together along their lateral edges, each having a central longitudinal channel, for placing face to face to receive in the opposing channels the mast of an umbrella. Problems with all of these prior devices include that they do not provide a unified umbrella and ground piercing pointer which is removable from the container, do not provide food supporting table surfaces of selectable height and do not provide wheel and handle transport means.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus which is designed to receive and hold upright the mast of an umbrella such as a beach umbrella to form a composite apparatus which can be disassembled to become sufficiently compact to fit easily into the trunk of an automobile.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which includes a food supporting table structure of adjustable height for retaining food items retrieved from within the container at an elevation for easy access depending, for example, on the height of the user chair.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which the container is heat insulated to function as a cooler for food items and the container upper wall functions as a table for placement of the food items during consumption of the food items.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is readily portable without lifting, including a pull handle and wheels, and from which the umbrella can be quickly and easily removed without tools.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is simple in design, durable, easy to use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.
A container apparatus is provided for use in combination with an umbrella having an umbrella mast and umbrella canopy, including a food container having a container top wall, a container side wall and a container bottom wall together defining a container interior, with an umbrella mast passing port, a mast engaging structure, and a container interior access door; so that the umbrella mast may be inserted into the mast passing port and advanced into the interior of the container and engaged by the mast engaging structure, thereby holding the umbrella mast upright relative to the container and so that the container stabilizes the umbrella, which can be opened over the container.
The container preferably is insulated against heat transfer between the container interior and the surrounding environment. The container bottom wall preferably is integral with the container side wall. The container top wall preferably is substantially horizontal when the container is upright and thereby functions as a table upon which a user can place food and drink items. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a pull handle on the container and at least one wheel rotatably mounted onto the container substantially opposite the pull handle so that the container wheel rolls on the ground as the pull handle is pulled by a user. The container may be a substantially rectangular box.
The mast engaging structure preferably includes a mast securing fitting connected to the container bottom wall which includes an annular flange having an upright tubular segment for receiving the lower end of the umbrella mast. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a mast retaining tube extending from the mast engaging structure to the mast passing port in the container top wall.
The apparatus preferably still further includes a container stabilizing mechanism for keeping the umbrella from overbalancing the container and causing the container to tip over when the apparatus rests on a granular surface. The stabilizing mechanism preferably includes a pointer removably secured to the lower end of the umbrella mast; and a pointer passing port in the container bottom wall for passing the pointer completely through the a container so that the pointer projects downwardly out of the container bottom wall and into the granular surface. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a depth marking line on the umbrella mast for indicating a suggested pointer insertion depth when the depth marking line registers with another part of the apparatus.
The pointer preferably includes a shaft having substantially the same diameter as the umbrella mast and has a pointer lower end which is tapered for lower resistance penetration into the ground. The pointer has a pointer upper end, and the pointer upper end preferably has an upwardly protruding, axial, externally threaded pointer bolt portion having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the umbrella mast; and the mast lower end has an internally threaded axial mast bore for threadedly receiving the pointer bolt portion to removably connect the pointer to the umbrella mast. The apparatus preferably still further includes a port closing door underneath the pointer passing port, such that the pointer passing port can be closed to prevent mast passage.
The container top wall preferably includes a top wall fixed section secured to the container side wall and includes the mast passing port. Wherein the top wall fixed section preferably includes an elongate diametric strip passing over the middle of the container and connected to the container side wall at opposing points of the container side wall, the apparatus preferably additionally includes a container lid defining the remainder of the container top wall and closing the container. Where the top wall fixed section is a diametric strip, the first and second container lids are pivotally secured to opposing sides of the top wall fixed section with hinges and extend from the top wall fixed section in opposite directions to meet upper end segments of the container side wall, thereby completing the container top wall and closing the container.
A container and umbrella apparatus is provided, including an umbrella having an umbrella mast and umbrella canopy; a food container having a container top wall, a container side wall and a container bottom wall together defining a container interior, with an umbrella mast passing port mast engaging structure, and a container interior access door; so that the umbrella mast may be inserted into the mast passing port and advanced into the interior of the container and engaged by the mast engaging structure, thereby holding the umbrella mast upright relative to the container and so that the container stabilizes the umbrella, which can be opened over the container.
The umbrella mast preferably includes a mast upper segment; and a mast lower segment separate from the mast upper segment, the mast lower segment being tubular and sized so that the mast upper segment telescopingly fits into the mast lower segment to produce any of a variety of overall mast heights as desired by the individual user; a cam lever locking mechanism for releasibly locking the mast upper segment against movement relative to the mast lower segment at the desired telescoping position.
The upper end of the mast lower segment preferably includes a cam lever opening and the cam lever locking mechanism preferably includes a cam lever having an elongate lever end for gripping and moving by hand and having a cam end perforated by a fulcrum pin port and which fits into the cam lever opening in the mast lower segment and includes a cam lever pin passing through the mast lower segment upper end, through the cam lever opening and through the fulcrum pin port in the cam lever, so that the cam lever pivots within the cam lever opening and the cam end progressively protrudes into the interior of the mast lower segment to varying degrees as the cam lever is pivoted and thus progressively bears against and grips the mast upper segment.
The container preferably additionally includes at least one container partition wall dividing the interior of the container into at least two interior regions. The apparatus preferably additionally includes an adjustable table structure having a central table structure port through which the mast passes; and releasable mast engaging means. The mast has a mast lower end and preferably has an internally threaded mast axial bore at the mast lower end, and the mast engaging mechanism preferably includes a mast securing fitting connected to the container bottom wall which includes an annular flange having an externally threaded upright tubular segment for screwing into the internally threaded mast axial bore. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a mast retaining tube extending around and upwardly from the mast engaging mechanism at least to the mast passing port in the container top wall.
The stabilizing structure preferably includes a pointer having a penetrating pointer lower end and having an engaging pointer upper end removably secured to the mast; and a pointer passing port in the container bottom wall for passing the pointer engaging end so that the pointer projects downwardly out of the container bottom wall and into the granular support surface. The pointer preferably includes a shaft and the penetrating pointer lower end is tapered for minimized penetration resistance into the granular support surface.